Posted on 05/07/2015 10:39:47 AM PDT by wagglebee
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 6, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- By declining to hear a challenge to a lower-court decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively solidified New Jersey's ban on "reparative therapy," or counseling designed to steer people away from their unwanted same-sex attractions. Republican Gov. Chris Christie signed the ban into law in August 2013.
The New Jersey ban applies only to minors. According to Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), noncompliance by parents could result in the state taking their children away.
The Human Rights Campaign, a powerful lobby dedicated to redefining marriage and normalizing homosexuality, recently decried reparative therapy as "a range of dangerous and discredited practices" that can "lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, and suicide." In February 2014, activists in favor of normalizing homosexuality demanded that the United Nations classify reparative therapy as a form of torture. Such accusations depend on the assumption that same-sex attractions are innate, unchangeable, and irresistible, despite a lack of evidence to support this theory and an abundance of evidence to the contrary.
But while reparative therapy has been panned in the media and the courts, not all therapists condemn the practice. The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity in conjunction with the NARTH Institute, for example, strongly advocated for Gov. Christie to veto New Jersey's ban in July 2013. In a statement released at that time, the group emphasized the ban's threat to personal freedom: "The freedom of a gay teen to choose a therapist that honors his or her goals and values is unchallenged. All citizens should expect equal treatment and protection from the law and lawmakers."
The therapists concluded: "The 'bumper sticker slogan' approach which so often characterizes media stories rarely improves the public's understanding of important psychological issues."
The NARTH Institute had joined two New Jersey therapists and the American Association of Christian Counselors in challenging New Jersey's reparative therapy ban, citing concerns about the state curtailing therapists' freedom of speech and religion.
Additionally, Mat Staver, the Liberty Counsel attorney who represented the New Jersey plaintiffs, claimed in a separate but related lawsuit that his client desired to repudiate his same-sex attractions. "Before states began passing legislation banning change therapy, the treatment was driven by the minor's desired outcome," Staver said. "Our client and his family were on the way to that desired outcome, until Governor Christie signed a law prohibiting further treatment. ... Governor Christie has no right coming into the therapy session of this young man and telling him what kind of counseling he can receive."
A federal judge dismissed the challengers' case in November 2013, deciding that "'counseling' is not entitled to special constitutional protection merely because it is primarily carried out through talk therapy."
Christie, who expressed reservations about interfering with "parents on raising their children," nonetheless signed the ban – "reluctantly," he claimed. Yet, Christie rationalized, "exposing children to ... health risks without clear evidence of benefits is not appropriate."
On the point of the state's involvement with how parents raise their children, the Alliance-NARTH statement stressed that "[a]ny society that grants the right to an adolescent to decide to terminate a pregnancy ... cannot rationally suggest that this same adolescent should not have the right to freely participate in conversational counseling to discuss sexuality." New Jersey currently has no parental notification or permission requirement for minors seeking an abortion.
Along with New Jersey, one other state has passed legislation to ban reparative therapy: California, under Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown, in October 2012. (The District of Columbia City Council passed its own ban in December of last year.) The Supreme Court refused in 2014 to hear the challenge to California's reparative therapy ban.
Began when Bush ran CIA with drugs coming through Mena, Arkansas, and Clinton was Gov. Of Arkansas
Began when Bush ran CIA with drugs coming through Mena, Arkansas, and Clinton was Gov. Of Arkansas
Homosexuals make up about 2% of the population, they ARE being used as pawns because they are presented as "normal" and their numbers are incredibly overstated.
The biggest reason that they are pawns is that the left doesn't give a damn about them, they are using them to push the same agenda that they use women, blacks and other minorities to push.
The states have never amended the Constitution to expressly protect abortion, gay marriage or same-sex reparative therapy. So while upholding 10th Amendment (10A)-protected bans on same-sex therapy actually works in the favor of pro-gay activist justices, the Court was hypocritically wrong to ban 10th Amendment-protected prohibitions on abortion, likewise for gay marriage if the Court overturns state bans on gay marriage.
The 17th Amendment needs to be repealed so that state sovereigny-respecting justices can eventually overturn the corrupt Court’s wrong ignoring of the 10th Amendment on abortion and gay marriage if pro-gay activist justices legalize gay marriage from the bench.
The GOP treats conservatives EXACTLY the way that the Democrats treat minorities.
All people really need to do is look to history for how gays were used by the Soviets and Nazis. Look to the 936 Communist Goals. It’s all there. If people want to know where this is headed, simply read history.
PS: this is why History is now on the chopping block in many schools. Rewriting it into conflicting accounts was the beginning. Now that the Snowflake generation has no clue what was real of fantasy about it, they eliminate it and with it, all it’s lessons.
Stevie Wonder could see this coming but like any good leftist takeover, no one believes the truth until the heart stops beating.
Importantly, not even the SCOTUS could forbid taking their children out of state, to where such therapy is permitted. Though it would probably be a good idea just to move out of New Jersey entirely, denying them any means of coercion.
Guess why I and a few others get so frustrated that FR is openly used as a GOP propaganda site by the Freeper Left?
Since when has CPS ever cared what law says?
I've said it before and I will say it again, the notion that some sort of ideological purity exists at the state level that can fix our federal problem is absurd.
Members of state legislatures are very influential in state party politics and play a major role in who is nominated for state office to begin with. When Dave Brat defeated Eric Cantor in Virginia in last years GOP primary, this was done at a GRASS ROOTS level, the Virginia General Assembly and Senate would have NEVER gone along with it if given the choice.
If anything, eliminating the 17th Amendment will make things WORSE because candidates for Senate will no longer have to deal with primaries, they can cut deals directly with the party bosses in the state legislatures.
Ideas like this and a convention of the states sound great in theory, but in reality they will accomplish nothing.
” The GOP treats conservatives EXACTLY the way that the Democrats treat minorities. “
With on exception..the GOP fires, demotes and tries to humiliate conservatives.
The Sex Offender Registry will be the next to go.
Well someone has to be a target for the rest and this cycle Cruz takes the job over Palin.
” Yeah I’ve been fed up with the FRiberals for years. “
Look for a few hundred additional ones who will sign up 6 months prior to the election : )
If Cruz catches fire, the GOP will spend hundreds of millions in an attempt to destroy him.(A chunk of it will be a “pass through” from Jeb.
Many have. Can’t wait to watch the next round of their Cruz trashing here as the election nears. It’s so much FUN to see conservatives destroyed and RINO lesser evils praised isn’t it?
YAY “Conservatism”...
I was thinking only heterosexuals will be the only “sexual offenders” in the future.
I used to have a list of zotted long-term trolls along with my observations about them. Unfortunately, it was on an old computer and I no longer have it.
Most of those who sign up will not actually be new, they will be retreads.
Don’t forget the cash value of the free PR the Freeper Left provides. On the open market that kind of damage is worth 7 Figures easily over the cycle.
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